The Future of the Indian Nuclear Program
K. Santhanam is presently President of The India-Central Asia Foundation (ICAF). He was Director General, Institute for Defence Studies Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, until July 2004, and earlier was Chief Adviser (Technology) in the Defence Research and Development Organisation. He has worked for over 43 years in the area of science, technology and security and disarmament and arms control. He has served as India's member in the Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts set up by the UN Secretary General (1978-80) on verification of arms control treaties, has been Scientific Adviser in the Ministry of External affairs (1984-86) and a member of the National Security Advisory Board.

Implementing UNSCR 1540
V. Siddhartha a Senior Associate of NIAS, is currently serving as an expert with the UN 1540 Committee established under the UNSC resolution 1540 (2004). Dr. Siddhartha has held important offices in the Government of Indian including Emeritus Scientist in the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Secretary of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Chairman of the Research and Development Council of the Centre for Wind Energy Technology, Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources,  Adviser at the headquarters of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, member of Systems Planning and Analysis Group at ISRO and Chairman of its Technology Transfer Group.

Following the presentations, we will have a panel discussion with the speakers and the following additional experts:
S. Chandrashekar is currently Professor of Corporate Strategy at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) and J.R.D. Tata Visiting Professor at NIAS.  Prior to his joining IIMB he spent more than 20 years working at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) where his work covered all parts of the programme, as well as the applications of space technology, especially remote sensing. He was also involved with activities related to international co-operation and has represented and led Indian delegations to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.  His recent work as a part of the International Strategic & Security Studies Programme at NIAS includes an assessment of the Pakistani and Chinese Ballistic Missile Capabilities, as well contributing to a series of public briefs on various dimensions of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal.

L.V. Krishnan joined the Department of Atomic Energy in 1958 after taking an Honours Degree in Physics from Madras University and later graduated from the Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology in 1964. He has specialized in nuclear safety and health physics topics and has held important positions in the Indian Atomic Energy Department.  He was instrumental in setting up the Safety Research Laboratory at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam and served as the Director of the Safety Research and Health Physics Group as well as Chair, Safety Evaluation Working Group. His current interests relate to energy and environment issues. He is a Co-author with C.V. Sundaram and T.S. Iyengar of the book titled 'Atomic Energy in India - Fifty Years'. He has also co-authored the book `Elements of Nuclear Power' with Raja Ramanna.

R. Nagappa has specialized in solid rocket propulsion and served at the Indian Space Research Organization, designing and developing operational solid rockets and the associated infrastructure. He retired as the Associate Director of ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in April 2000. He served as Pandalai Memorial Chair Professor at Anna University, Chennai and as Lady Davis Visiting Professor as the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa Israel. He is currently Visiting Professor, International Strategic and Security Studies Programme at National Institute of Advanced Studies. His current interests relate to missile studies and space security.

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